Drive-in movie

Scoobie

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Feb 21, 2006
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Hey all, my son wants to put a Drive-in movie theater on his layout. My question is, what would the dimensions for the movie screen for HO scale? I plan on printing out a photo from his ( I love toy trains) video and glueing it to the screen.
 

krokodil

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Nov 20, 2003
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Its depend oif the size of the theater (how many cars). The smallest screens were about 10 m in width (30 feet) and for normal movies (old time) the ratio of the screen is 1.3 (i.e. 7,7m height). In cinemascope movies the ratio is almost 3.
Anything between is OK.
 

MasonJar

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Oct 31, 2002
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I think this is a case for "whatever looks right". Have you thought about putting in a working screen? Maybe one of those portable DVD players poking up through the layout? ;)

Andrew
 

Scoobie

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OH MAN!!!!!! that is a great idea, Andrew. I'll have to do a little shoppin for this. That would be so nice. My wife's startin to think I'm going over board on this. Now I'll prove to her that I AMbounce7 Thanks for the idea:thumb:
 

Relic

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Now that's one hell of an idea! I hanen't even seen the "pro's" in the magazines do that. ( but then I've only been reading 'em for a coupla years)
 

stuart_canada

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walthers had one listed in their sale flyer a few years a go, ho scale drive in complete with dvd player and screen to scale. it was a costly item to purchase they still might carry them
 

jetrock

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It's an old idea--at least one model railroader in the Sixties used a Super 8 projector and a tiny screen to project home movies. The advent of small LCD screens definitely expands the possibilities for integrating video with our model railroads. There is a book on animation and model railroads out there by Kalmbach that talks about how to use video screens to add "live" action to the inside of HO scale buildings!
 

ed acosta

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Aug 4, 2005
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Drive-In Movie Theater

I saw a drive-in movie theater that incorporated a small flat screen TV set built into the side of a mountain on an HO modular layout. The mountain absorbed the remainder of the TV set and the TV screen was framed to resemble the construction of the old movie screen. It looked pretty authentic with the snack bar in the center and the posts with hanging speakers at every spot. Even the movie they were showing was from the 1950s. It certainly was an attention getter!

Let us know what you decide to do.
-Ed
 

Scoobie

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OK guys, although I haven't run this be my wife:rolleyes: thanks N Gauger, I've been thinking about it all day. Not much done at work either:rolleyes: I'm thinking about a 5 to 7 " dvd player and I'll build a concession building that goes over the base of DVD player concealing all the DVD player buttons and etc. Then I'll be able to lift it off when I need to.
 

Scoobie

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Thanks for all the help guys. Mrs Scoobie looked at me kinda funny when I told her about the idea. I took thay as a NO!:cry: So I ordered one off the web site Will gave. Maybe on the next layout. Thank again!!!!:thumb:
Scott
 

boppa

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Jul 21, 2002
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lol i build one years ago using a b/w tv hooked up to videoplayer(beta even)
was one of the `rover' 6" b/w portables that ran off a car battery, a stack of d cells or a mains plugpack

i also used the `forrested hill behind the screen' idea to hide the guts of the tv

it may not have been `scale' but i liked it

modern lcd screens opens up lots of possibilites-esp with portable dvd players being so cheap

the `giant operator' even gets to watch for free ;-)

another thing to think of is burning custum dvds for the drive in-adds for the sunday special steam excursion etc etc
 

Old 'n' Weary

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I realize that this is an old message, so the following information may be irrelevant: There is a drive-in kit up for auction on ebay. It's not mine; I just saw it.
 

GeorgeHO

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May 3, 2005
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You can buy a black and white surveilance TV with a camera for $20 to $30. You can hook up a DVD/VCR (another $20 to $30, but I've seen them for $10), .... OR you can use the camera that comes with it and conceal it in your station and show the trains as they arrive and depart.